Tag-Archive for »Bag for Life«

You can’t say this place isn’t classy. The Lakes are filled with timeless buildings and properties, so much so that there are times when the entire area looks like a Hollywood movie set, or at least a film set of the British variety.

For the first time since 1761 a Downton Abbey-esq property in the Lakes is available for £3.25m. Lowbridge House has been home to the Fothergill family for 254 years and finally they have decided to up sticks and move on.

Based in a 2,000 acre estate, The Fothergill family like many modern clans, have decided that space is not of paramount importance anymore and have decided to opt for a smaller more manageable property.

The property near Kendal comes with a host of old-world features, including a billiards room and its own lake. As you can imagine interest has been generated far and wide, especially in North America.

A lot of the interest is down to the fact that English period houses come with such a rich history and have featured so prominently in many iconic films and TV dramas, over the last 50 years.

Claire Whitfield, from estate agents Strutt and Parker, said: “What makes it so special is that in the 254 years since it was built it has never before appeared on the open market.”

No doubt the new owners will be very happy with their new purchase and be in no way short of admirers.

Are you, or is one of the people in your traveling group, a wheelchair user? Experiencing an outdoor holiday in countryside terrain where there is an emphasis on walking, can prove challenging for those in wheelchairs. The Miles Without Stiles project has created routes through the lakes that are accessible for wheelchair users and also those with young infants who will be using pushchairs, during their walks.

Miles without Stiles, have created walks with better, smoother paths and implemented gates to replace those tricky stiles. There are already 42 routes across the national park, with several new routes in the pipeline that are set to open early this Autumn.

Gradients on many of these walks are no more than 1:10 and the surfaces are made of tarmac or smooth, compacted stone with a diameter of 10 mm or less. Also for ease of use, path width is kept to a minimum of 1 metre with plenty of room to pass other people along the way.

Maps of all the miles without stiles walks are available from either Bowness on Windermere information centre, Keswick information centre or Ullswater information centre at Glenridding. Consult lakedistrict.gov.uk for information on the easiest routes to any of these centres from the Beech Hill.

A standout walk created by the folks at Miles without Stiles, is the one around Blea Tarn. This walk is made all the more pleasurable by the easy access to the 19th century pub the Old Dungeon. A classic hikers’ and climbers’ bar in the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Great Langdale, it is the perfect place to relax and wet your whistle before you embark on your next trek.

Every year, thousands take up the three peaks challenge, a mountaineering expedition involving the 3 highest peaks in Scotland, Wales and England, with the English peak- Scafell Pike situated right here in the Lakes.

Scafell Pike situated at Wasdale Head is traditionally the starting point for the three peaks challenge. Wasdale Head is just over an hours drive from the Beech Hill Hotel here in Windermere. To locate the carpark, use the postcode for Wasdale Head which is CA20 1EX.

Wasdale is Britain’s favourite view and the home of British mountaineering, so what better place to start your hill-walking challenge? Many of those who do the challenge come in groups that are organised by the individuals themselves, although many of the popular UK charities do usually assemble groups of walkers who are taking up these challenges in order to raise money for specific causes. Indeed, you may find many walkers this time of year on the peak who are there on a charity fundraising mission.

Two usual routes are available for walking Scafell Pike, one from Wasdale Head and the other from Seathwaite. Longer routes are available from Langdale and Eskdale. The Wasdale route is 6 miles long with 989 metres of ascent and the Seathwaite route is 9.5 miles long and includes 996 metres of ascent.

Make sure you have at least one person in your group who can navigate in difficult conditions. Wear the correct clothing and footwear and make sure you have enough food and water. Have fun!